The Hidden Sweetness In Ariana Grande's Sexy 'Break Up With Your Girlfriend' Video

In between explaining why she won't be at the Grammy's, Ariana Grande is finally seeing the release of her new album Thank U, Next and also the music video for her most intriguing song: "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored." And WOW, there's a lot to unpack.

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Breaking news: Ariana Grande has finally released her album Thank U, Next and also the music video for her most intriguing song: "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored." And WOW, there's a lot to unpack. Just watch the video above, then come back, because I have some thoughts.

It is HIGHLY sexy—think single white female but with a happy ending. The video stars Riverdale's adorable Charles Melton and model Ariel Yasmine, who basically looks just like Ariana with a long brown ponytail. In it, spoiler alert, Ariana goes from eyeballing the boy to copying his girlfriend's look (soooo, her own look, then?). Then, she goes in for the kill, stealing a smooch from—the girl! The video cuts to black just before it happens. Fans are, unsurprisingly, losing their minds over the whole thing: the sexiness, the parallels, the surprise twist ending. But underneath all the hot hot hotness, I actually think there's a sweet message there.

The video is kind of a profession of love for herself, since she's basically turning into herself throughout the video—that iconic, long ponytail that's her signature look. Ariana starts out the video as a blonde, staring longingly at the relationship and look she's always wanted. There's even a shot of Ariel and Ariana looking at each other, post-transformation, as if Ariana's taking a look at herself in a new way.

And Ariana has been talking a lot recently about a renewed focus on herself and her own self-care. When she received the Billboard Woman of the Year award, Ariana said, "I look forward to hopefully learning to give some of the love and forgiveness that I've given away so frivolously and easily to men in the past to myself this year."

Ariana's reaction to the release and her fans' response (finally, after all those musical hints and Easter eggs) was emotional and sweet:

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.